The old Dodge M886 was getting a bit shaky around the seams and was a wee bit utilitarian. So we decided that we were in need of a new family vehicle. Our criteria were pretty stringent: true four wheel drive, seats seven, at least twenty mpg, reliable. There aren’t many vehicles that can meet those points, but we managed to find one. Probably the only one.

(Here it is before the lift and tires next to my friend’s space cab, turbo, 4wd pickup)

The Toyota Van was called simply “Van” in the US market since it was the only one they offered. In other markets it was the HighAce. It is the only factory true 4×4 van ever offered in the USA. By true 4×4 I mean having the capability of locking the center differential or not having one at all as in the Toyota. Thus the Toyota is “part time” four wheel drive with auto or manual locking front hubs and a two speed transfer case on the manual transmission version.

For my purposes I had to have a manual transmission model so as to get the two speed transfer case. It just so happened that perusing Craigslist I found one listed for the incredibly low price of fifteen hundred dollars. Now you may not be aware of it but the 4×4 Toyota vans are a whole ‘nother animal than the two wheel drive versions when it comes to pricing. They tend to range from about twenty five hundred for a so-so automatic one, to as much as six thousand for a good manual version. So when I saw the price tag I had to call and ask what the catch was.

Turns out there was really no catch! The man simply wanted to get something else. And the van was very nice indeed. The interior looked like it was about year or two old, the body was about ninety percent straight, and it ran like a Toyota. I didn’t bother to dicker with him; I just gave him the money and thanked him.

Not mine

Of course the first thing that struck me about driving it compared to the Dodge was how small it was. One sat scrunched up on top of the engine, driver’s side elbow pinned against the door or against the window that does not roll all the way down. But of course I am not even close to the size of an average Asian adult, maybe two put together. However Michelle fit in it just perfectly and the seats offered decent comfort and the dash and steering were ergonomic enough.

I bought the van with memories of my VW vans knocking about in my head, as many Toyota van buyers likely do. However they were only similar in a very few ways. In both, the driver sits over the front wheels, and both are shaped like a Snickers bar, but that’s pretty much where the comparison ends. For one, the Toyota van is water cooled; secondly the engine resides under the front seats, and of course the one big difference is that it is actually a reliable vehicle.

To the casual eye, it may look similar to a Vanagon, but it’s really closer to the older Type 2. Sure, both the Toyota and Vanagon are water cooled and resemble a Star Trek shuttle craft, but the Toyota is much smaller, even smaller than the original VW type 2. It is also much more solidly built, more efficient, and more powerful. So in actuality it didn’t remind me of the good old VWs at all and I think that is probably a good thing.

(not the author’s toyota)

One of the first things I did with it was to take it out in the mud and see how it did. So I put it into four wheel drive low and headed out to the back forty which was pretty nasty. It did surprisingly well, but its relatively low ground clearance hindered it severely on tractor rutted areas. Also the auto locking hubs tended not to lock reliable in slippery mud. Several times I ended up pulling it out with the Dodge. So I could see a few modifications were in order.

One downside of Toyota vans is that the cooling system is perfectly matched to the engine. By perfectly, I mean just barely, which of course in the mind of any good engineer is the pinnacle of efficient building. However after years of service, said systems can fail to keep up with circumstances. That, compounded with the fact that the engine is stuffed in a little area the size of a foot locker with no airflow can make for an interesting trip.

We started to notice that the temp gauge was edging up the dial on our way back from buying a vehicle that will be the subject of it’s own post. It was mid summer and the traffic on highway 217 was backed up as usual. Michelle was in the van with all of the children and I was in the new vehicle. The air temperature that day was hovering around one hundred and the van was starting to get hot. She turned on the heat full blast and that cooled it down a little. But then the alternator light started coming on. So she didn’t want to shut it down for fear that it would not restart. Luckily after a few tense and very hot hours we made it home with both cars without overheating the Van.

The cooling problem turned out to be a weak fan clutch which I rectified with a couple of screws (not a recommended repair method). The charging problem was a bit more tricky. After replacing the alternator and all of the fusible links it was still giving us problems. However, a very helpful community of folks over at Toyotavanpeople.com helped me out. Turns out that there is a junction block hidden behind the battery (which is located under the floor behind the driver’s seat) and that block was very corroded. After a bit of wire brush work and some Vaseline it was charging as good as new.

So with it running pretty good and hunting season coming up, it was time to address the limits of the Toyota Van’s off road capabilities. I started with replacing the auto lock hubs with factory manual locking hubs. Then, using coil spring spacers on the back, and cranking up the torsion bars on the front, I lifted it about two inches. With the addition of a set off new larger and more aggressive tires it improved the ground clearance enough to be a bit more useful in the muck. I also disconnected the sway bars. That might sound pretty dangerous but in actuality I really didn’t notice the difference on the road, maybe because I never drove it like a sports car in the first place. All these little modifications added up to the Van being quite able to keep up with my friend’s Jeep Cherokee off-road. The limiting factors were now the large front overhang due to the American five mile per hour bumpers and my reluctance to wreck my nice van. I was able to live with those limits.

After hunting season a rather peculiar incident occurred which was to lead to us being less one Toyota van. A certain woman whom I happen to live with came to me one day after driving the Van and said ” there is some kind of goo pouring out all over the driveway from under the van”. I went out to take a look. Sure enough; gray, thick, oozing goo was pouring out from the bellhousing by the gallon. What the hell could that be? I thought.

A certain woman who shall remain unnamed

It turned out to be a frothing mix of oil and water. I first thought that it must have been a massive head gasket failure. And inspection of the cooling system found it clogged up with oil. But then I noticed something: the cooling system was full, but there were gallons of goo coming from the bellhousing. How could this be?

I asked this same woman when the last time she had topped up the cooling system was. She said it was just before she left. I asked her how much water it took. She said it took “a whole lot”. Hmm, “and did you check the oil”? “Yes” she told me, “it needed a quart”. “How did the oil look”? “Perfectly normal” Hmm.., I said “look at the radiator, it’s all oily, was it that way before”? To which she sheepishly replied “that’s the radiator”? “Yes”, I said “didn’t you know that”? Her eyes shifted from side to side, and she said in a low voice, half turning from me; “I thought that was the oil filler”. “So you put oil in it”? “Yes she answered” To which I posited, “and you put water in the oil filler then!!?? “Yes I guess so” was her timid response. “How much” I asked. “I kept filling it until it was full” she said. Apparently after that she drove it around town and back before noticing the “sludge problem”.

(Notice the close proximity of the oil filler cap and the coolant cap?)

So it appeared that through those minor oversights that we had lost a good Van. But you can’t keep a good Toyota down. So I figured at least I could get it into a state that someone would buy it. I replaced the rear main seal that had blown out with the steam pressure, and replaced the clutch, pressure plate, and pilot bearing. I let the engine drain for several days with the oil pan removed and scrapped all the goo out of the pan. And then I put it all back together again. I filled the engine completely up to the filler neck with a mix of ATF and kerosene and let it sit for a few more days.

Then I drained it all, filled it to normal level with a mix of oil and kerosene, put a new filter on it, and ran it at idle until it heated up. I then drained it again and put regular cheap oil into it with a new filter and repeated twice. And then I did the same the with the cooling system using Dawn dish washing soap and water as well as replacing the oil softened hoses I could reach. But I couldn’t reach the hose that Toyota Van owners call “the hose of death”. It lies hidden behind the engine under the floor, so I figured I would have to chance it. After all that, the oil came out clean and the engine ran without knocking! So I put good oil and a good filter in it and took it out on the road. It ran pretty good, but not quite as good as before. I could now hear the lifters a little more and it seamed just a little bit sluggish.

I was amazed at how the van had survived the horrible attack on its life. But in my mind’s eye I could see the bearing surfaces chocked full of particles loosened by the water and burnished bright from lack of lubrication. The engine seemed like a ticking time bomb now. So what to do? The mid to late production Toyota Vans used the 4YEC engine. The same one used in their forklifts (most being propane however). Obtaining one in good condition was not easy or cheap. So I figured I would make it somebody else’s problem.

I mentioned in the advertisement that the engine ran OK but would probably need a complete rebuild, and I priced it accordingly, which was still as much as I had paid for it. I didn’t mention why I thought it would need rebuilding, but I did stress to the eventual owner that it would and that was why it was priced so low. He was of course from Eugene and he was comfortable with replacing the engine and fixing up the Van to suit his needs. So that was the end of our Van. But finding something to replace it was no easy task, as next week’s article will illustrate.

42 Comments

When I lived in Denver, in the mid 1990s…I had lusted for a Toyota van of this vintage. Preferably a panel van…I’d planned to make a half-fast mini-camper out of it.

Over in Lakewood, on a road I went down every day, there sat on the curb a clean 4×4 panel van. A rare form of a rarity…and it was for sale.

Unfortunately, a job change just about that time took me out of town, for good as it turned out. I will forever lust; but at this point in my life, hacking out a camper like that and then actually sleeping in it…no longer interests.

Lots of things can kill a Toyota, namely, around these parts (Upper Midwest), rust. It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen one of these. I had assumed they’d all rusted away from the bottom up (as most Toyotas eventually do).

A painful, painful story to read. However, I admire Mrs. Freeman’s patience and willingness to keep on top of these older, high-ish maintenance vehicles. I salute her. Mrs. JPC has no such desire to do this, and I have found it good for our marriage for her to drive the car that requires no such eagle eye. Or when that has not been possible, to be out front of her on the weekly or daily systems-checks.

So day two on owning this van and I realize that I’ve broken two keys while just trying to open the doors. Nothing major just a slight turn of the rest and the keys snapped leading me to question the previous owners integrity and soft touch when it comes to older vehicles. That being said I have found out shockingly that any key will start this vehicle and open this vehicle raising worries that somebody might indeed steal this vehicle. Any insights as to how I can I may be able to replace the locks and ignition keyholes? Secondly, any insight as to how I can add a roof rack and lift the vehicle. I found out the middle seat compartment it’s rather snugly in the back so no need to throw that away just yet. Thanks and chairs (cheers)!

“…just barely, which of course in the mind of any good engineer is the pinnacle of efficient building.”

No, no no no! That’s not good engineering at all. Good engineers overspec everything. It’s *accountants* who want the kind of efficiency to which you refer. Accountants are the modern day corporate priests — everyone wants their blessing for everything they do! Never mind the record shows they’re not much better or more effective than garlic and chicken entrails, or casting runes….

Actually, for all I know garlic, entrails, and runes might work really well. Just never felt particularly inclined to look into it though. 😀

Cool writeup on an interesting vehicle. The Van (2 or 4wd) is one of the vehicles on my list whenever I have to car shop, but so far none have made it. It’s my insistence on the stick shift, or I could find one fairly easily here in the south.

Years ago I had a cab ride in one of the 2wd versions with the 5-speed, and the driver drove it with great verve. I was quite impressed by the Van, and would be happy to have one. Quite impressed by Mexican cab drivers, too — a lot of those guys are serious pros and deal with crumbling/changing/non-existent infrastructure daily.

Good little vans those its actually a Lite Ace the Hiace is much bigger these seem to be badged Masterace and Masterace Surf here and also come with 2c & 2ct diesel engines. Interesting that Toyota didnt market the Hiace in the US as its the van version of the Hilux and pretty well rules the roads as far as commercial vans go here.

My best Toyota van story was several years ago when I drove a friend’s band up to Portland for a show. 4 people, guitars and amp, bass and amp/cabs, and a drumset. After the show I was volunteered (Thanks Jerry!) to drive another band home. So: Toyota van, 8 people, 2 drumkits, 3 guitars, 3 guitar amps, 2 basses, 2 bass rigs. It accelerated like a drunk sloth but made it to their house.

My dad replaced the 77 Caprice wagon with one of the first 2wd versions. My younger brother managed to pretty much kill it with not much more than a 100K. Technically it just had a pretty bad rod knock but having done a number of years as the family hauler it was pretty beat up so not really worth reparing considering how the engine is shoe horned in there. In its defense that brother has killed more cars than anyone I know.

Before my brother got old enough to drive I took it on a number of trips with my college buddies. With just 3-4 people heading through the passes on I-5 in OR and CA were pretty much run flat out. It always got the job done and the dual air managed to keep the box cool even in 100 degree weather w/o any problem. The one thing that really sucked was the cruise control. In even light hills it would end up slowing down, down shifting and holding that lower gear for well after it needed it. So with proper driving technique I could do much better with MPG by keeping it OD much more of the time.

Awesome Michael, you’ve owned something that we also owned down here in New Zealand – I can completely relate! Over here the NZ-new ones were Australian-spec and were badged Tarago; and once the second-hand Japanese imports started arriving, we got the JDM names, Masterace and Townace. The Master was generally the lower-spec version, and came with the quad headlights; whereas the Townace was higher-spec and had large flush single lamps.

The Master/Townace fitted in the middle of Toyota’s 3-tier ‘Ace’ vans. At the bottom was the smallest, the Liteace; and at the top was the largest, the Hiace. All three were separate models and completely different sizes – although occasionally Toyota swapped the badges around (eg the Townace pickup was actually just a rebadged smaller Liteace). In the 90s a new-shape Townace was released, and the Masterace version vanished, but there was now a Liteace-badged version, replacing the Masterace and the smaller previous Liteace. Confusing I know! I’ve never driven a Litace, but I had a 1994 Hiace from 1995-2001, and it was an outstanding van – good looking and very nice to drive. I did several hundred thousand km in it.

But back to the Toyota Van. Ours was my parents’ and was a 1985 Townace Super-Extra, silver with blue interior. It was a 1.8 litre, 4 cylinder, 5-speed low-roof – ie the same roof height as yours; there was a high-roof model available too, which was also available with a Skylite roof with 6 (!) roof windows.

Ours was a second-hand Japanese import, we were the first NZ owners when Mum and Dad bought it in 1990. It was bought because more space was needed for us growing kids and our friends, and it replaced our 1986 Ford Sierra station-wagon. In turn, the Townace was replaced in 1994 by a 1990 Ford Telstar station-wagon.

I’d turned 15 in 1988, and had gained my Learner-Driver licence (15 was the legal driving age here then), and learned to drive in the Sierra (2.0L 5-speed, a nippy and fun car to drive). But by the time I had my Restricted-Driver licence which meant I could drive alone, the Townace was the family car. Sigh. But despite being the last thing a teenage boy wanted to be seen driving, it was actually a very good van. It was good looking (for a van) with some really nice subtle detail design in the styling. It was really comfy, and the handling wasn’t bad either. I loved having the separate a/c controls in the rear, and being able to swivel the middle row of seats to face the rear was awesome if there was a bunch of my mates in there.

I’ll always remember the Townace/Van for one reason. Well okay, two – I’d forgotten about the windows not rolling all the way down! The reason I remember it is it was the first vehicle I ever did the ‘ton’ in (160 km/h or 100mph). Dad and I were heading away for our annual fishing pilgrimmage to an isolated lake (Waikaremoana in the Ureweras for our NZ readers), and much of the trip is straight flat roads through forestry. The longest straight is around 10km, and ended with a 5km gentle downhill that gently curved. I decided I’d go for it and see if Dad noticed. It did about 145km/h on the flat, and was feeling seriously floaty and unstable. But once the downhill slope started, things changed. It felt like it was going to take off until 150 km/h, and then started pressing down onto the road and feeling awfully heavy – like it had an elephant on the roof. As it hit 160, Dad leaned over and looked at the speedo. I though I’d get a growling (I was only 16!), but all he said was “Oh. I didn’t think it’d go that fast”. I backed off back to the speed limit then, and lived to tell the tale!

As always Michael, thanks for a fascinating story, and I’m delighted at the memories it stirred up for me! 🙂

Thanks, it’s good to hear some experiences with them from afar. The Toy Van is incredibly popular all over the world except for here. I have owned two now and wouldn’t mind another. if only one could get a diesel here.

Actually, two friends of mine had turbo diesel ones – one a ’90 manual with the Skylite roof, and the other an ’88 4wd auto. The owner of the ’88 unfortunately blew it up – he knows nothing about cars, and doesn’t really like them. He was driving home from a nearby town one day, and noticed that a “needle thing in front of me was pointing at some red stuff that said H”. He didn’t know what it meant and carried on driving. Eventually the cabin started filling with smoke from the engine under the seats. He told me his exact thoughts were “I wonder what that is. I’d better carry on home unless something’s wrong”… No it didn’t make it…!

I’ve always liked these vans (at least as an adult, as a kid an Astro was the only van for me, we had one and I was intensely GM loyal) but haven’t seen one around here in years. One tip, should you ever have to get oil out of a cooling system again, is to use Shout. Similar ability to degrease, without all the suds. Worked wonders when the oil cooler went on the old Passat.

Not sure where youd find out about it I saw it on TV a bunch of guys figured they could do better than Top Gear UK at building amphibious vehicles and picked on a Toyota van I do know they removed the rear diff head and used the prop shaft to drive a propellor making the van front drive only. Lees boatbuilders in Sandspit which is run by a friend of mine who owns the Rambler SST I posted sponsored the effort. it worked they made it try googling itwww.youtube.com/watch?v=zTK6-3G4sKM

‘Nother Kiwi here. I’ve currently got a ’92 2WD Diesel Auto TownAce sitting outside that I got about a year ago. I needed a 7-seater (it’s actually an 8-seater, so even better) at a time when we had no cash due to renovations. A friend was off-loading it, so grabbed it as stop-gap.

So far it’s been really nice. Not exactly quick, but lugs well enough and always does the job. Indeed today it was on house-moving duty for a friend, and once all the seats are laid out flat, it takes a whole heap of gear. Air-con needs a re-gas, which I wasn’t going to do, as I wasn’t going to be keeping it long. However, I’m liking it a lot, so may well make the investment and hang on to it for a while.

Reliability-wise it’s been very Toyota. The last owner did a proper overhaul on the cooling system and re-bushed the suspension, so hopefully no issues there. The motor has a real unstoppable feel to it. Only ongoing issue is that the electrics are a bit doolally. Central locking only works when it feels like it, and buzzer for “lights on” is defunct, leading to a couple of flat-battery moments.

Manual would be nice, 4WD even nicer. Wet today (moving house – always seems to happen), and I had the back step out on a roundabout quite unexpectedly. Nothing gruesome, but it highlights that they didn’t offer the 4WD because they wanted it to be an off-roader…

If I don’t kill it, odds are the next owner will take out the seats, put in a mattress and drive it up and down NZ. Seems to happen to most of them.

I have an 87 toyota van LE was running just fine then it died in driveway and wont restart
we determined the fuel injectors are not pulsing, there is power to ign swtich, replaced teh idle control module under dash (old one was melted) and tested various fusable links n fuses n relays,, we seem to not be getting any power to EFI systems on motor.. This is frustrating.. anyone?

I own an 86 Van Wagon (2wd) 5speed and drive it daily with no problems. Put some Celica-Supras in the back with some wide tires and it runs like a champ. It LOVES Lucas oil additive. All I had to do was drop the steering rack (E-Z!), get it fixed (Able Auto in Plano) then I put it back in. It is currently flying down the streets of north Dallas. You should see the looks I get in Doo-Doo brown. Never before have I gotten so much fun for so little money.

Love it so much that I found another1 on Craigslist. This time the rarest of the rare. An 87 5speed 4wd. Previous owner (in the north Dallas burbs) somehow locked the ignition. Took me all but 10 mins. To unlock and voila, the Blue Bomber started right up. Gonna take it to a fabber in Arlington to jack it up and redo to hubs. Looking forward to off road this thing very soon. I’m gonna wrap it in a white/gray camo print.

hi I just recently purchased this phone and saw your article and sealing my faith in this vehicle. I’m about to ditch the passenger seats in the back and modify this so I can sleep in it while traveling across the US. is there any recommendation as to the set of tools I should carry with me should my vehicle breakdown. question – how do I know if its 4 by 4 or not?

Hi. I have a 1986 4WD LE van. I put Warn hubs on it when I first got it for $800. I’ve been driving it for about 8 years now. The trans went out. So I’ve been looking at different vans for sale.I can’t find any that will serve my lifestyle like the old Toyota does. My Harley chopper even fits nicely in the back. A surfboard fits nicely inside on the ceiling racks I built. Bottom line is that I’m keeping it. I did replace the radiator with new one from the factory.So now it will have a new trans,engine mounts,main seal,and water pump. The trans will have a lifetime warranty. When the engine goes bad I will build a new one with more power. Eventually the van will get semi-pimped.These vans are the best.

Cool, having some issues with my 4×4 leaking fluids. Thought I’d post to see what you all think might be good fixes. Rear end leaking from the differential and the transmission. Strangely nothing leaking from the transfer case. Any suggestions? Nothing wrong with the 2wd.

another new zealander here.i just bought a 2 liter 1995 town ace super extra,the posh version of the van you are talking about here,it has electric windows (and the drivers side one still dosnt go all the way down,dont blokes in japan drive with elbow out window?),has seating for eight and even has separate air conditioning for the back ,the seats even swivel around so you can sit facing the rear if you want to.i have all my seats set right back and have a mattress on top for camping in. it also has 6 stereo speakers 2 in front and 4 in back that came standard. i am however concerned about keeping the engine cool.i noticed how hot it gets inside the cab,apparently the air flow underneath the van while its getting along pretty much dosnt hit the radiator and goes straight past it. is there a solution to this? oil cooling maybe? or maybe a smaller radiator further up front to catch the air? what about a snorkel like what is fitted to an off roader that they drive thru rivers? maybe all these solutions? any ideas fellow toyota van fans? also,the hi ace was a different vehicle to this, was wider,larger and with a choice of length of wheel base,long or short.and with larger engines.2l, 2.2l gas and with diesel versions up to 3l i believe.

Keep the posts coming guys. Looks like the world loves these vans. I’m gonna lift my 4×4 and lower my RWD. Considering putting a turbo diesel in the 4×4 and going muddin. There’s a dude here in Arlington with a fab shop named fallout fab. I’ll keep you all posted. Stay cool and keep these vans going!

Hey everyone. Rudy in Dallas, Tx. posting because I am getting ready to put my 87 4wd van for sale on Craigslist and eBay. It’s rough but its all there. A few leaks but nothing major. 4wd works great and it turns on quick. I’m moving on to an early 80’s RWD starlet is why I’m selling. Keeping my rwd 86 van. Running out of room that’s all. 972-762-1570

I have a 1987 4wd low milage. Engine rebuilt after hose from hell busted and head warped. Cost close to two grand just for top end being rebuilt. Four captain chairs and rear bench. Never wrecked, no dents. Blue with blue gray interior. Make me an offer. CT me at bow249@atmc.net. Located in NC. You can drive anywhere you want.

No the 1st true Factory 4×4 was a Chevy 1976 SMUD K series G30 I know & own 1. Sacramento Municiple Utility District. American made Pathfinder trasfer case. Has been customized. 350hp Dana 60 rear end, Dana 44 front, high rise intake, low Rpm high turqing cam, Dicadium coated heads to run on any high Oct racing fuel. Frame all boxed lifted. Ported polished & blueprinted.
1 of a kind can park it anywhere. The jeepers tell me I am the last thing they they expected to see up here. Might be coming up for sale. Bad Ass not a conversation.

I am the original owner of a 1987 Toyota 4wd van that I have maintained impeccably. Unfortunately, a friend, who will also remain unnamed 🙂 , had a mishap in it the other day. I am now in need of a side cargo door. Do you have any suggestions on places to try and locate this and other parts?